Four Weddings and a Funeral
by HerosReprise
Summary: The season of weddings is upon us. A comedic romantic-drama that follows the weddings of the hidden leaf village's most promising young couples. Post ch699, Pre ch700. Opens with the wedding of Ino and Sai.
1. Problematic Surprise Guest

**Summary: **The season of weddings is upon us. A comedic romantic-drama that follows the weddings of the hidden leaf village's most promising young couples. Post ch699, Pre ch700.

**Warning:** May contain manga spoilers.

**Enjoy**

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><p><em>'In your heart, I have found my home.'<em>

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><p><strong>Four Weddings and a Funeral<strong>

_First Wedding_

Chapter One - Problematic Surprise Guest

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><p><span>'You are cordially invited to celebrate the union of Ino Yamanaka and Sai in holy matrimony.'<span>

He read the inscription on the marble tablet confirming he was in fact in the right place. He stepped quietly into the chapel and paused for a moment at the entrance way. The light from outside was pouring in behind him giving him an angelic glow. His initial plan was not to attract much attention and simply slip in unnoticed. It never seems to work that way where Konoha was concerned.

"Why's he just standing there?" Choji whispered to Shikamaru. Yep, spotted immediately. The groomsmen were standing at the altar watching the unexpected guest enter the far end of the chapel.

"I think he's trying to decide which side he's supposed to sit on, bride or groom," Shikamaru observed.

This was true. He wasn't particularly close to either party although, if he was being absolutely honest with himself he would consider the both of them his friends. The invitation to be a part of this wedding was somewhat humbling.

He looked to his right and noted this half of the room was filling rather quickly. It seemed the entirety of the Yamanaka clan was gathered as well as quite a large majority of both the Akimichi and Nara clans. He smiled briefly, well a version of a smile where the corners of his lips lift a tad and then immediately return to a collinear fashion. He was glad to see the continuation of a loyal alliance between the three clans. This camaraderie was what Konoha was all about.

On this side there were various other faces he recognised; Iruka Umino, Kurenai Yuhi, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame to name a few. Perhaps he should sit with those familiar to him. Although the thought of having to make small talk dispirited him. He wasn't much of a talker.

To his left, the side wasn't as congregated. That tended to happen when a bride or groom to be is clanless or without a family. He supposed an ex-ANBU was not permitted to keep many friends in his early years. Loneliness was an unavoidable part of the job. Still, there were some faces he recognised and a reasonable turn out… considering.

Let's see here:

Hinata Hyuga, sporting a radiant glow of confidence he had never seen upon her before. Perhaps the source could partially be attributed to the wedding band around her finger. Apparently the blonde idiot hadn't messed things up with her yet. He almost felt shocked, yet couldn't help resolving to feel exultant for the young couple.

Lady Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju… well, former Hokage would be a more appropriate title. Even though visually, she appeared to be younger than the current Hokage would be at this time. He may know a great deal about chakra and ninjutsu. But a woman's desire to resist the natural process of age would always remain an enigma to him.

Rock Lee, unchanged in the slightest. In fact, he managed to incorporate green into his formal wear. Funny, he couldn't picture the young man in anything else. He half expected him to break into a round of push-ups in the aisle whilst awaiting the processions.

All of these friendly faces and he didn't feel the urge to sit with any of them in particular. He searched through the crowd one last time.

He couldn't find _her_. He assumed she must play the role of bridesmaid in the event and there was still some 10 minutes before the bridal party was expected.

Best he take a seat and get comfortable. Knowing what he knew about this particular bride, he assumed the wait would be far longer. Surely the sight of this extremely detailed chapel, covered in intricate flower arrangements and tapestries was some indication of the high standard the gowns were expected to be. 'High maintenance' was one description that came to mind when he thought about the woman in question.

"Move it!" a child behind him shouted before throwing a tiny fist into the back of his leg. Probably would have hurt too, if he didn't have such a high tolerance for pain. 'What a strong little kid.'

He turned around to find the culprit. He should have guessed. White spiky hair and glaring black eyes. Uncanny resemblance to…

"AIIYYEEEEE!" a woman screamed as she sprinted in behind the boy and picked him up in haste, "Sakumo! You can't just come in and harass the guests like that, Now you apologise to this young ma-"

Her voice stalled in recognition of the man in front of her.

"It's... it's y-you…"

"Shizune, I hope you are keeping well," he spoke fluently placing his palms together and offering a slight bow, "Last time I saw you, you were about 8 months pregnant."

He glanced at the silver haired child in her arms who probably already came up to his knees in height, "Time sure does fly."

"Ye-Yeah, I suppose it does," Shizune murmured, "You certainly have grown up too. It took me longer than I thought to recognise you. I-I didn't expect you would be here. Naruto never mentioned it..."

"Ah, well, in actuality nobody knew of my attendance save one-"

"Ah… Hello!?" the boy in Shizune's arms interjected with his hands on his hips, "Who is this joker?" Sakumo glared and pointed him dead in the face.

Shizune sported a horrified look, mortified at her son's consistent misbehaviour. They had told her it was just a phase. That being the son of a Hokage is a difficult burden for a child. That he would soon one day grow into a respectable shinobi and man. For Shizune, that day couldn't come fast enough.

"Now you hear me young man!" Shizune began, completely comfortable telling off her son in a place of worship, "You are being extremely rude and I won't have any of it for the rest of the day!"

Sakumo pouted and crinkled his face not quite convinced of his mother's typical empty threats.

"Now you apologise to Sasuke for speaking to him that way and for hitting him. We don't hit peop-"

"Wait…" Sakumo interrupted. Did that kid ever let anyone finish a sentence, "You're Sasuke?"

The man smirked at the kid's new found curiosity and he began to wonder who was responsible for informing the kid of himself. He assumed it was either his father, or Uzumaki.

"That's right, and you must be Kakashi's little brat," Sasuke replied smirking when Sakumo recoiled at the insult, "Funny, I wouldn't have expected anyone related to Kakashi-sensei could be so lame."

Sasuke knew he should be baiting a child in a wedding chapel, some 5 minutes before processions were set to begin especially when he was trying to lay low. But he couldn't resist stirring such a stuck up kid who sort of reminded him of himself back in the day.

"Me lame? You're lame!" he shouted causing Shizune to jump at the sudden shift in volume, "I'll bet you're not even Sasuke anyway. My dad said Sasuke is a fourth shinobi world war hero and you're no hero," he carried on, letting out a temper tantrum that had obviously been building long before Sasuke's encounter with the child.

"Oi Sakumo!" Naruto shouted from the altar, "You won't win any argument with him, believe it, I've tried. So hurry up and get your butt up here."

Sakumo's demeanour shifted instantly when Naruto called to him. Sasuke assumed he had already developed some kind of brotherly friendship with the little guy looking up to Naruto as an iconic and powerful shinobi to emulate (as many kids do these days.)

He bolted to the altar where Sai, Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji were standing without so much as a second glance towards Sasuke. Naruto smashed a hand onto his head and ruffled his already messy looking hair in.

Sasuke breathed a laugh at a typical 'Naruto' interaction. He decided he really ought to sit down if he wants to avoid further unnecessary conversation (and potential fights with toddlers).

"Ahh, What an unexpected surprise?" a familiar voice came from behind.

Kakashi, hardly appeared to have aged, likely due to the fact that his face was always covered. He did however sport his Hokage white and red trimmed robe over his formal attire. It always baffled Sasuke that someone as lazy as this man managed to retain the top job all of these past 8 years. He was probably dying for Naruto to smart up enough to relieve him of all of his work.

"Lord Sixth," Sasuke placed his hands together and bowed slightly which came as quite a shock to Kakashi. He had found Sasuke wasn't one for respecting people's rank or position in his early years.

"Oh how convenient," Shizune crossed her arms, "He shows up as soon as the commotion tides over."

Kakashi bashfully scratched the back of his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah right," Shizune rolled her eyes. Sakumo's misbehaviour wasn't the only thing she could rely on, Kakashi's frequent absence during said misbehaviour was another.

'At least he is characteristically as lazy in parenthood as he was as a sensei,' Sasuke thought to himself.

"I'd love to catch up but perhaps we should let the processions get underway first," Kakashi suggested and motioned for Sasuke to follow him to an empty seat on the left side of the chapel. He guided his wife to an empty seat to his right and pulled her chair out for her in an obvious grab for forgiveness which was granted immediately with a smile. It was impossible for Shizune to stay mad on a perfect day like today.

Funnily enough, Sasuke realised Kakashi was the perfect person to sit next to. Even thought he was probably the person armed with the most content for small talk. In the last time Sasuke had been in the village Kakashi had since had his first son, watched his beloved student Naruto be wed, and no doubt made countless accomplishments as the villages Hokage. Yet he was as equally disdained by the uncomfortableness of chit-chat as Sasuke was.

Perfect.

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><p>Naruto was helping Sai with his boutonniere on the lapel of his suit jacket. Shikamaru placed a hand over his forehead as he watched a clear case of the blind leading the… severely visually impaired.<p>

"Naruto, you're going to wreck it. It was fine before," Shikamaru complained.

Naruto was under the impression that since he was the first of their graduating class to marry, he had all the inside tips and there wasn't a problem he couldn't solve.

"I appreciated it," Sai smiled when Naruto was finished fixing (wrecking) the flower.

Naruto shot Shikamaru a childish 'see, I told you,' look to which he receive an exaggerated roll of the eyes.

"Gee Sai, you sure seem calm, aren't you like nervous at all?" Choji asked. For a guy marrying _the_ Ino Yamanaka aka _Bride Zilla_ you'd think he'd be at least a little on edge. But no, he was as happy as the pervy sage at a mixed bathing retreat.

"No, not at all. Now that Sasuke, has arrived that is," Sai replied.

"Wait hang on, are you telling me you knew he was coming?" Shikamaru questioned.

"That's right, I invited him," Sai replied casually as ever. He had a habit of answering a person's question without realising they wanted further explanation. It drove everyone mad.

"Aw, so Sasuke really means that much to you. That's nice," Naruto grinned, although he was kind of peeved that Sasuke had made the effort to come to this wedding and not his own.

"Oh no, it's not that. Ino wanted him here," Sai explained.

"What? No she didn't. What gave you that impression?" Shikamaru asked.

"She said she wanted Sasuke here. She didn't give me a whole lot of duties to complete for this event so I really did my best to make sure I got this one done."

"Ino really said she wanted Sasuke here?" Choji asked, clearly confused.

"Yes"

"Hang on a minute, how did she say it exactly?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Well, we were discussing the guest list and I brought up Sasuke and she said 'Yeah right, I _totally_ want the boy I used to obsess about and who turned me down, at my wedding'" Sai repeated.

Naruto and Choji laughed quietly.

"Sai you idiot, she was being sarcastic!" Shikamaru chided, "Don't you know what sarcasm is?"

"Sure I do," he began reaching into his back pocket for a book.

"No books," Shikamaru groaned and grabbed his wrist before he had to hear some stupid definition on 'sarcasm', "Aw man, Ino is going to flip when she finds out Sasuke is here."

Shikamaru turned on Naruto and Choji who were treating the situation like one big joke, "What's so funny about this, you know what she's like. Whenever Sasuke shows up it's all anyone can talk about. We can't have that on _Ino's day_"

The phrase _'Ino and Sai's day'_ had long since expired. Everyone knew it was all about _her_.

"It's kinda sweet though," Choji smiled, "Every snarpy and sarcastic comment Ino makes Sai takes in a positive way."

"Yeah, they're kinda perfect for each other," Naruto smiled in agreement.

"Alright fine, you all just take this lightly, but when she has a spaz attack you're all on your own," Shikamaru held his hands up in defense.

"You got it," Naruto slammed a palm on his back a little too hard, "Now do you want me to fix _your_ boutonniere?"

"Get off me," Shikamaru roughed him away playfully.

"Fine, I'll just fix this little guy's then," Naruto chuckled as he knelt down.

"I'm not _little_," Sakumo growled, folding his arms.

"Yeah sure... and Shikamaru's not a _sourpuss_," Naruto commented. "That was sarcasm by the way Sai, just FYI"

"Right," Sai said to himself thoughtfully, as he finally began to stress about his apparent mistake in inviting Sasuke.

"Flowers are for girls," Sakumo whined as he squirmed around in the tiny little suit he was obviously forced to wear.

"Yeah I know kiddo, but don't worry I'll make it so it falls apart at the end of the ceremony," Naruto winked knowingly and offered a thumbs up. The kid remained as grumpy as ever. Now stomping his foot.

Ino had thought it would be a sweet idea to have the children of their former sensei/team captains be the flower girl and page boy for the ceremony. She obviously didn't think it through enough. If anything was going to ruin this wedding, it wasn't Sasuke, it was this little kid who was a ticking tantrum time-bomb.

Just as Naruto finish with Sakumo's boutonniere the strings section made their way down the aisle, signalling the bridal party had arrived. They seated themselves at the front left corner of the room and prepared to play an abridged version of wedding march. String instruments was one of the few items Sai was permitted to request for the ceremony. And a very good choice it was.

The three groomsmen and page boy wished Sai very good luck (Shikamaru insisting he would need it) and left the altar to take their place at the door. The strings began playing and the sound of the horse and carriage halting out the front could be heard.

Here we go, ready or not.

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><p>The girls congregated in the entrance and were preparing to be escorted down the aisle by the groomsmen.<p>

Everyone turned in their chairs in anticipation. This wedding promised the most intricate and beautiful gowns coupled with the perfect flower bouquets.

Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's 3 year old son involuntarily linked his arm around an older little girl.  
>Mirai Sarutobi-Yuhi, Kurenai and the late Asuma's daughter. She was approximately 7 years old and a real cutie. She had on a bright yellow tulle dress and happily sprinkled heart-shaped flower petals from a basket, down the aisle as they walked together. In contrast to the page boy, she was ecstatic to be chosen to participate. She had grown very close to all three members of team 10 and had always looked up to Ino as a role model.<p>

Tenten was the first bridesmaid to arrive at the entrance. Her chocolate brown hair was worn completely down, curled, and partly braided, with real daisies clipped all the way through.

Choji escorted her down the aisle and made a deliberate attempt not to accidentally step on her elegant canary-yellow floor length bridesmaid dress. They greeted Sai at the altar and took their sides as the next couple appeared at the entrance.

Temari didn't like to wear yellow. It blended with her hair. She half thought Ino chose the colour in spite of her but she played along anyway. It was nice that she was becoming more and more accepted in Konoha. She was grateful to even be considered Ino's first choice as bridesmaid.

Shikamaru gracefully walked his fiance down the aisle sporting a kind smile which had replaced his anguish over the Sasuke issue. It seemed the ball gowns were enough to attract everyone's attention from Sasuke. Which is exactly what Ino would want. Hopefully Sai would dodge that bullet at least until the reception.

The last two to walk down together, before the bride herself, were the best man and the maid of honour.

"Don't forget to breathe," Naruto whispered in Sakura's ear as they were given the cue to begin walking.

"You don't have to be so dramatic," Sakura whispered back. If she could handle 12 emergency situations at the Leaf Village hospital at once she could handle a well rehearsed glide down the aisle with her former teammate no problem. She wasn't one for stage fright.

"Oh, I think I do," Naruto responded, knowing it would only take seconds before she noticed him.

He was right.

Sakura, graced in wearing the same perfect canary yellow gown. The colour made her long curled pink hair stand out. She smiled politely, glancing around the room, feeling slightly uncomfortable everyone was looking at her with deep admiring eyes. She wasn't used to being looked at that way.

That was the moment. She thought she was imagining it but Naruto squeezed her arm tightly to stop her from falling, reassuring her it was in fact true. He was here. _He _was here.

Why did no one tell her _he_ would be here?

Her graceful smile was replaced but an uncomfortable expression of fear and her perfectly musically timed steps faltered. She felt like she was going to faint.

"He… He,"

"I know, Sasuke Uchiha is here," Naruto whispered, "But 'sh' it's a secret okay"

She looked at Naruto bewildered and then back to Sasuke sitting on the left hand side of the room watching her walk down the aisle. That was when he smiled at her. Not a smirk of arrogance, or a look of pity. A smile, a real smile.

It was like she and awoken from a genjutsu. Her frightened expression replaced with a kind smile and a slight blush as she managed to conjure the will to complete her short walk down the aisle with Naruto.

'Let's ignore him Sakura, and get through the processions,' her inner self told her, 'then you can fall apart in emotional backlash afterwards.'

She kissed Sai on the cheek in congratulations and moved to her designated position, sporting the best fake smile she could manage. The audience arose to their feet as the bride was lead in. Everyone gasped in awe at the sight of her.

Everyone accept one.

Sasuke kept his eyes to the front. To the altar. Unconsciously trained on her. _Her._

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**_What do you guys think so far? I hope you don't think this Sasuke is too OOC. Considering the way his character is ended in chapter 699, I believe in later years he would develop a humble set of good manners and reflect on his time in the village as positive. What do you think? Too much?_

_If you're wondering about the whole Kakashi x Shizune thing, it was more a decision based on availability and convenience. I kind of expect each of them would be married and have kids by this point in the timeline so I figured 'Why not with each other?' It's not my first choice in pairings for each of them but they don't have a particularly huge role in this story so it was just easier than introducing more characters._

_ I find Ino and Sai to be absolutely adorable, OMG. I figured they would be the first to marry after Naruto Hinata, what do you think? _

_Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance! :P_

_XO_

_HerosReprise_


	2. Here Comes the Bride

**Author's Note:** First and foremost; thankyou all dearly for the high level of interest (favourites and follows) I really appreciate it. I'm actually quite stunned, 28 Follows for the first chapter… my goodness!

Reviews are just about my absolute **favourite thing** in the world so thank you to all who found the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it.

**_Reviewer Responses:_**

**_eorising:_**_ Don't worry, there will be plenty of Ino x Sai moments (in this chapter especially XD) Thank you so much for reviewing. __**sauskaepanda:**__I'm glad you think so. I'd say probably more like Kakashi than Shizune, although we don't really know what she was like back then aye? Thank you for reviewing darl! __**I am Telgar: **__Everything is a secret my dear. You will have to wait and see how SasuSaku get together. You want her to hit him? My my… Tsundere indeed… Hehe, I'll see what I can do. Thank-you for reviewing! __**skylaa555: **__I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. You're review was a delight to read so thank you! Fluff is my specialty. Hehe. __**Mars:**__ Yes I know :). I mentioned in the previous chapter that he wasn't there. I hope you enjoy this next one XD. __**UsagiMitsu:**__ USAGI! I was delighted to see a review from you. I'm glad you don't think it's too OOC, although I know Sasuke probably needs to be a little ruder hehe. Ino playing matchmaker is genius actually. (I've taken that into consideration so thankyou :P) I hope you enjoy this next one! __**Matthew Uchiha: **__Why thank-you kindly! How sweet of you to say! __**indigooo: **__Thank you dear. There is more humour to come :) __**pinklove**__: I'm glad, and thank-you. Hope you like the next chapter._

**_Thank you all kindly, and I hope to hear from you again XD_**

**Secondly,** the title _'Four Weddings and a Funeral'_ is obviously taken from a classic British rom-com. This story isn't a cross over at all. It just has a similar sense of humour and of course, four weddings and one funeral. (If anyone was wondering). The plot and sequence of events however, are nothing alike.

**Thirdly, **I'll be seeing _The Last_ tomorrow (it is airing in Australia, Hoorah!) so I may make a few changes after seeing it as I'd like for this story to fit into the cannon timeline nicely.

**Hope you all enjoy this next chapter. **

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><p><em>'A home of kindness, unselfishness and trust'<em>

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><p><strong>Four Weddings and a Funeral<br>**_First Wedding  
><em>Chapter Two – Here Comes the Bride

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><p>Ino Yamanaka was more than just a beautiful bride. She was the epitome of elegance. She was a miracle wrapped in a gown of royalty.<p>

Chiffon ivory fabric enveloped her form. There was simply not enough time in the course of the ceremony to observe all of the intricate detail the dressmaker had gone to. Embossed floral design was fashionably and subtly exhibited throughout her gown. The textile gathered in a Basque waistline and billowed out around her hips, concluding in a long train behind her.

Her celestial, thigh-length hair was the icing on the cake. Some parts were curled, some braided. Decorated throughout it was the Yamanaka clan's signature flower, the purple Lespedeza (or Bush clover.)

She brought shame to the moonlight, to the sunrise and to all other natural beauties that merely crumbled in comparison. She was, for all superficial purposes… an angel.

Her divine face which normally graced expressions of frustration, impatience or anger in this moment displayed a look of peace and comfort. She was… happy. Genuinely happy.

She paused for a delicate moment at the entrance way. Closing her eyes she allowed her senses to take it all in.

_The smells_. Beautiful flowers, matched not only for colour and style, but for scent too. Jasmine, Iris, Sandalwood and a touch of citrus. The combination was sure to leave an olfactive impression on her beloved guests.

_The sounds._ Sai was right, the pleasant strokes of the violins, cello, viola and double bass formed a majestic background, not at all impeding the gasps and astonished intakes of breath of the onlookers that she longed to hear. Ino may have been able to appreciate the sounds even more had her heart not been pounding as loud as it was.

_The sights._ She wanted more than ever to look through the crowd and experience their admiration of her. Their unwavering awe. The chilling moment where _you _and only you are the object of everyone's attention and veneration. Funny, she had dreamt this moment a million times over, but now that it was here all she could really pay her attention to was the man standing in wait, ahead of her.

Damn it, why did that gorgeous boy have to look at her like that. Like she was…

A work of art.

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><p>Choza remembered many conversations with his dear old teammates after their children had been born. He remembered teasing Inoichi for the horrendous responsibility he had of <em>fathering a daughter.<br>_'You're so unlucky,' Shikaku would say. Inoichi would in turn, chuckle and accept the jeers. He often agreed with them, in that raising a son would have been far easier. But never did he ever wish for anything different. The man loved his daughter. It was as simple as that.

The true misfortune in the matter was not that Inoichi had had a girl instead of a boy, rather, that he couldn't be here on such an important day in that exceptional girl's life. How that man would have wished he could be here.

Choza could picture himself casually laughing it off with his well-aged teammates on this day had things turned out differently:  
>'She really is a beautiful young woman… no idea how she could possibly be related to you.'<br>'Yeah sure I'll have another couple bottles of sake… you're paying after all ain't ya, '_Father of the bride_?''  
>'Spose we better give that Sai kid the ol' <em>if you ever hurt our girl we'll be coming for you punk<em> spiel aye?'

Choza felt the young woman tighten her arm that was interlocked with his. Pulling him out of his thoughts and back into reality.

He was chosen by Ino to 'give her away,' a duty normally performed by the father.

'You _are_ like a father to me though,' she had said when he attempted to decline, feeling as if it was not his place. It was all the convincing he needed. She was right. If _he_ couldn't be here today then Choza knew he would damn well do his best to complete these fatherly duties on _his_ behalf.

'Inoichi, I know you are with us today, in some way, you are here,' Choza thought as he arrived at the altar.

'Do you see her Inoichi?'

The priestess made a small polite announcement of the commencement of the ceremony as Choza kissed the girl on her cheek and gently handed her over to her teary eyed groom.

'Do you see how happy she is?'

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><p>The processions were underway, and the priestess had begun her part of the service. Not that Sakura was listening to any of it. She was far too distracted.<p>

'Alright Sakura, Great job in not thinking about he who shall not be thought about…' her inner-self commended her.

Her whole body fidgeted, rather conspicuously too, and squirmed around as if she were trying to avoid an invisible laser line attack. She felt so uncomfortable and nervous.

'…is what I'd _like_ to say if you hadn't BEEN THINKING ABOUT HIM THE ENTIRE TIME! CHAAA!'

This was ridiculous. Here she was, _the_ Maid of Honour, flawlessly dressed, at her best friends' wedding and she was missing most of it. Not to mention making a fool of herself.

Why? Because he was _looking_ at her.

'What is this? Second grade?'

She had hoped she had matured a little in all these years. She was a war-hero. A famous kunoichi that many looked up to. A visionary. Perhaps she had matured… physically and mentally, that is.  
>But emotionally?… nu-uh, she was still that 12 year old girl with a crush. A child who would melt into putty at merely a second of attention from <em>that one boy<em>.

'Damn you Sasuke!'

She wasn't just annoyed at her own pathetic response to him. It was also at the fact that he thought it as okay to show up out of nowhere, with no warning, after he had been gone so long.

The last time she had seen him, he dropped into the village unannounced to pass on some urgent intel.  
>It wasn't a special trip just to see her, like she hoped. In fact he hardly spent any time with her at all. It was just business.<p>

To be fair, if it weren't for him and his intel, the recent internal conflict in the Hidden Frost village could not have been resolved so peacefully and efficiently. Everyone was grateful to him, of course. Sakura especially. But… after promising he would return 'as often as possible' he left the very next morning.

That was 3 years ago.

And he even had the nerve to say, 'If you get tired of waiting… I'll understand.'

'Well you know what Sasuke!? I _am_ tired of waiting! And you _DON'T _understand!' she thought to herself fighting the urge to throw her bouquet at someone undeserving (probably Naruto.)

She knew it would be suicide to her dignity but she couldn't bear it any more, she had to take a peek. She needed to know if he was still staring at her.

She glanced in Sasuke's direction to find him paying close attention to the ceremony in front of her. Good, she could relax. She was just going crazy for nothing. Sakura angled her head back to the priestess, however her peripherals had a mind of their own. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off of him.

Now Sakura was the one to stare. At least that was more than typical.  
>However, Sasuke wasn't just his usual incomprehensibly handsome self. He also seemed… peaceful. As if he was actually enjoying hearing some abridged form of <em>what marriage means<em>, and the details on how Ino and Sai formed and planned to keep; a bond. As if he actually cared about them. As if he actually _cared_ period.

How much had he changed?

Who was he now?

He was always a curious case. The things Sakura knew for sure about him was that he was irrevocably serious. Cold and rude at times, harsh when it came to judgement, brutal when it came to battle and unhappy… in general. Was this still the case? Or had the recent times of peace softened his heart? It was certainly unfamiliar for Sakura to see the man smile. To see him enjoy the presence of his old comrades. To see him gaze at _her_ like she was someone worth looking at.

Such an enigma.

It wasn't long before Sasuke picked up that he was being stared at and directed his one visible eye back at Sakura. His left eye, which Sakura knew pertained his Rinnegan, was hidden by a long fringe of black hair.

There they were, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, connected by an innocent gaze… a _long,_ innocent gaze…

The seconds passed.

Um okay, this was getting creepy. It certainly can't be normal for two people to just stare at each other for this long right?

She really didn't think this through, what the hell was she to do now? Just blush and look away? Blow a kiss? Mouth a few nasty profanities? She couldn't tell if the moment was romantic or awkward… but her money was on awkward.

Sasuke dipped his eye as if to motion her to look down. When she did, she noticed that she had unconsciously balled up her fist and her knuckles had turned an unhealthy shade of white.

She unraveled her fingers slowly and looked back up at Sasuke with embarrassment on her face.

'Perfect. Just Perfect. Way to look like a psycho!' she chided herself. She assumed Sasuke would think of her as a mental case, someone so unable to control her emotions that she could have accidentally punched someone (probably Naruto) mid-ceremony. She assumed Sasuke would be embarrassed of her, or disappointed in her… or… or…

But when she looked to him again for any sign of negative reinforcement she found that Sasuke was still happily watching her, with an amused expression on his face.

Huh?

Sasuke used to be so cold. So closed down to the notion of affection or flirtation. So unaccepting of anyone's love or care. But in the ten-ish minutes Sakura had been in his presence she had noticed that he now emitted a new feeling.

Warmth.

The kind of warmth that made her want to melt.

And just like that, Sakura was transported to all those years ago. The blissful times of the original _Team 7_.  
>Where Sasuke, in his own way, cared about all the things Sakura too cared for.<br>Village, Team, Comrades, Friends, Senseis, Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninjas…

"Hello, Earth to Sakura?" Temari whispered.

OH GOD NO!

Now everyone was looking at Sakura and making accurate assumptions as to why she was so childishly distracted.

'Bye bye dignity'

"Sorry?" Sakura mumbled. Temari gestured ahead as Ino held her bouquet out.

Right, she was supposed to hold the bouquet during the vows. Damn, they were already up to the vows? She _really _ought to be paying proper attention. She took the flowers from Ino and offered her a supportive (and apologetic) nod.

Sakumo, as ring bearer, had one job. Fortunately he didn't take Naruto's ill-conceived, ex-prankster advice and pretend to forget and/or lose the rings. He handed them to Sai when the priestess requested and then crinkled his face in annoyance, as if being there was of the utmost inconvenience for him.

'Poor Shizune-sempai,' Sakura thought. That child was such a handful when he wanted to be.

Despite Sakura's attention deficiency and Sakumo's attitude, Ino seemed 100% absorbed in the moment. Maybe there really was nothing that could ruin this wedding, as long as those two were together, maybe it was all going to be okay.

"Now the bride and groom would like to make their own personal vows to each other," the priestess calmly stated.

* * *

><p>"I – um…" Sai paused briefly to manually inhale and exhale as if he had previously forgotten how to complete such a function.<p>

"I… thought I knew what I was going to say," Sai laughed, "I guess I also thought I knew about beautiful art up until now… but, I think I was misinformed."

Everyone in the chapel laughed lightly, including Ino who also began wiping at her eyes. Sai took both her soft hands into his.

"Ino, when I first met you, you were such a mystery to me," he smiled a little, "Actually in a lot of ways you still are."

More chuckles from the audience.

"It's not a promise… It's a privilege to call myself yours. You have shared with me friendship and kindness, but more than that, you have taught me how much sustenance there can be in life. Joy, sorrow, wonder, fear, hope, anticipation… love. I feel it all now. Where I struggled to feel for one person I learned to feel as a couple."  
>"I read in a book once that <em>true strength<em> is supervened by the depth in which you care for someone.  
>And today, I am the strongest man alive...<br>I promise to stay strong for you. For all the days of my life, I make this vow."

Ino had to take one of her hands back due to the unstoppable incoming tears. There were very few dry eyes in the chapel at that moment. Sai always did have a way with words. He placed the gold band over the ring finger of her remaining hand.

"Do you take this man to be your husband?" The priestess asked.

"I do," Ino replied. She took a few deep breaths before it was her turn.

"My-Sai," she begun, returning her hands to his. Insert cute nickname.

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I'm with you. I…" she smiled radiantly even though she was struggling to speak.

"I promise to nurture your dreams. I promise to help shoulder our challenges. I know now that nothing is out of reach for us if we work together. And I can't wait to build a wonderful life with you."

Sai made no attempt to cover the fact he was crying. He squeezed her hands tighter and took in a sharper breaths.

"I promise, in the future, I will always refer to this day as _Our Day,_ despite how crazy I have been." Yes, Ino can be funny too when she wants. Slight laughter muffled a crowd full of happy-tears.  
>"And may every day from this day on, be <em>Our Day<em> too. Forever and Always, I make this vow."

"Do you take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do," Sai smiled, and Ino threaded his ring finger through the matching gold band. That's it, it's finally done. Married at last.

"It is with great pleasure that I may now pronounce you both husband and wife. You may kiss the bride"

Sai hooked his arm around his bride's waist and closed the space between them before kissing her in exactly the way she had requested (and they had practiced.)

_Control freak: Yes, Bad kisser: definitely No_.

An uproar of cheers, whistles and well-wishes chased the couple out of the wedding chapel and into their chariot.

And just like that, two people arrived as individuals, leave as a union.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**_Man, I never realised how difficult it is to describe a bride. And I'm going to have to do it 3 more times D: Guess I'll be an expert by the end of it._

**_Reviewer Questions: _**_What do you think so far? Which characters are you hoping I will include, that haven't been mentioned yet? Who do you think will be married in the next wedding?_

_XO HerosReprise_


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